Sparking plug



w. ci.v CLAYTON. SPARKNG PLUG. APPLICATION FlLD APR.2| i919.

Patented May 25, 13249,

UNITED srATns "PATENT OFFICE.

SPARKING PLUG.

Leaders.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patenten May 2.5, 1920.

Application filed Apr1-2, 1919. Serial No. 286,982.

To all whom t may concern.'

Be it known that I, wWILLIAM GEORGE CLAYTON, a lsubject of the King ot Great Britain, and resident of 47 Queen street,

Melbourne, in the State of Victoria, Cour' inonwealth of Australia, have invented a certain new` and useful improved Sparking Plug, of Whichthe following is a specification.

This invention relates to an improved sparking plug and has been devised in order to provide a plug of considerably greater utility than those at present in use.

The sparking plugs at present in' use are defective in that should one of the contact points become Vclogged or otherwise close the spark gap, a'short circuit to earth is created and the ivliole oi the sparking points of each plug becomes inoperative and the particular cylinder of the engine is rendered useless until the circuit is readjusted. In some cases a plurality of plugs are fitted to each cylinder to overcome to son'ie extent the existing constructional deects of the plugs.

T his invention has been specially devised in order to overcome these defects and to provide a sparking plug by the use of which at least one of the contact points remains in operative condition irrespective of the clogging or bridging of any or all of the other spark gaps in the plug circuit.

'The essential features embodied in the invention are as folloivsznl. The arrangement of the circuit so that should one .or more gaps be short circuited,

the remaining gap or gaps remain in open circuit and therefore in sparking operation.

2. T he arrangement of varying distanced spark gaps in the circuit so that sparks of varying intensity are created to insure advantage of power, easy starting, and a rapid explosion, While at the same time carbon deposits are reduced to a minimum.

3. The arrangement of the circuit and the means employed for insuring positive sparking irrespective of the .chokingv of one or more of the spark gaps in the circuit, provided one gap is left clear for sparking.

The basic principle underlying the invention consists of means whereby a con tinuous circuit is insured through the' spark plug irrespective of the choking or. bridging of the spark gaps, provided of course, one spark gap is lett clear for sparking purposes, the circuit being so arranged that' the leads carrying or formed with the contact points are sui'iciently close together as to insure the bridging of the current from the supply lead over the Whole of the contact points and gaps in turn to earth on the engine frame.

ln carrying this principle into practical etect, one means of mounting and the circuit connected therewith Will now be described.

Figure fl is a vievv illustrating in elevation and vertical central section the preferred construction and arrangement of the spark ing plug for accomplishing the obj ect of the invention.

Fig. 2 is an enlarged View in vertical central section of theV improved sparking plug.

Fig. 3 is a view in underside plan of Fig. 2. v

According lto this invention a sleeve or shell l ot the plug is provided at its lower end with a' threadedportion 2 for fitting vinto the cylinder and in the body of the sleeve l a nut 3 is provided. rfhiough the plug sleeve or shell l is a porcelain or other plug oi insulating material 4l extending a sufficient distance past the top of the sleeve or. shell as illustrated to obviatev any short circuit between' the plug and the engine frame which forms the earth of the circuit.

Leading to the porcelain plug 4l from the magneto in the usual Way is the lead'yvire 5 Zontal' or curved member 12 of an inverted T piece or Contact wire or member 13 to form the i'irst spark gap 9 while the vertical portion of the inverted T member 13 extends to Aand is embedded in the insulation 4 of the plug 1.

The opposite end of the horizontal member of the lirst 'i' piece A13 forms a further contact point 14 for another or second spark gap 15 the other contact of which is adjacent therewith and may consist of another inverted fi' member 13 or may comprise the contact end of the wire leading to earth or the engine frame. In the construction illustrated, four spark gaps are shown therefore three inverted members 13 are employed showing the spark gaps 16 and 17, the contact 18 being formed onthe end 'of the wire -19 which is embedded in the plug shell 1 as illustrated in Fig. 2.

The spark gaps are preferably arranged within the lower portion 2 of the shell 1, a bridge 23 being preferably formed to receive the Contact members while gas spaces 24 are provided on either side of the bridge 23.

It' will thus be obvious that a plurality of spark gaps may be arranged in line or i n any other suitable way provided the circuit is continuous'by'bridging the gaps in turn from the inner lead to the earth wire there` fore two or more spark gaps may be employed in a plug with the intermediate spark gap contact members ot inverted T or other shape embedded in the insulation in the inanner above described.

The preferred arrangement of the contact lead .7 consists in forming the upper end with athread to receive the nut (S which locks the end ot' the lead 5 to a block 21 adapted to thread or iit tightly into the topy of the insulation 4 the contact lead 7 being formed or iitted with projections 22 adapted when the niit 6 is tightened to clam i against the underside ot the block 21 and tiie lead is thus held rigidly in position.

l desire it to be understood that the plug 1 may be of any suitable construction and any suitable insulation in lieu of the porce lain above described may be embodied, fur thermore, any number of spark gaps adapted to receive the spark in turn by the current bridging' the spark gaps in rotation fromA the main lead wire from the source .of supply to earth may be embodied without departing from'the spirit and scope oi' the invention.

A spark plug constructed and arranged in a circuit as above described will be or' great utility particularly for the reason that a greater advantage is obtained owing to the fact that one or more oi the sparkgaps may.

be short circuited or bridged, by carbon or other material, yet provided one gap is clear for sparking, the plug will spark, the contacts of the gaps being arranged suliiciently closely together to insure the bridging of the circuit across all the contacts from the main lead to the earth wire as above described.

What I claim as my invention and desire to secure by YLetters lcfatentis* 1. 1n a sparkingplug, a metal shell and a plug of insulating material extending above said shell and at its lower end substantially level with the bottom of the shell, a conductor in said insulation, extending at an angle to the bottom oi the plug, said insulating material formed at its lower end with an angular recess cut a substantial distance away from the shell on the side having the positive contact, a bridge, spark points in said bridge forming spark gaps therebetween, and a contact to the shell', gas spaces being formed within the plug on either side of the bridge.

2. The combination, of. a sparking ping having a positive terminal and a plurality oi' intermediate spark points arranged to spark in series from the positive terminal to earth, a plug of insulation, and a bridge formed on the plug oi' insulation, said bridge being removed, a substantial distance from the side of the plug shell adjacent the positive terminal, the intermediate points from the positive to earth being 'embedded in said bridge, substantially as described. y

3. ln a sparking plug a plurality o'spark points, a positive terminal, an insulating plug member formed with a recess therein, a shell surrounding said plug member, a bridge formed in the plug within the recess, the lower face of said bridge extending at an angle to the bottom or the shell and disposed va substantial distance from the shell of the plug, the spark points forming spark gaps being embedded'in and extended from the bridge and into tlielrecess, substantiallyas described.

4. 1n a sparking plug and in combination,

`a spark plug shell, an insulated core, a posiwith ia recess, a bridge in the cofe within the recess, said core formed with gas spaces on either side of. said bridge, and spark points extended from the bridge and into the recess so to form a plurality ot spark gaps between the positive and the earth leads.

5. ln a sparking plug and in combination, a metal shell constituting a negative electrode, an insulator in the negative electrode, a positive electrode extending through said insulator, and terminating at a point in proximity to said shell and olf-set from the center of said insulator, a plurality of separate spark points between the positive electrode and the negative electrode, and a portion et' said insulator preventing shortvcircniting between the positive electrodeA and the nearest portion of the negative electrode.

(3. in a sparking plug and in combination, a metal shell constituting a negative electrode, a positive electrode,'a plurality of @Maeva l yi;

spark points between the positive electrode electrodes and extending over substantially and the' shell, and an insulator contained in the entire face of the insulator.

said shell Aand having an angular face, said Signed at Melbourne, in the State of Vicpositive electrode extending into the lower toria, Commonwealth of Australia, this 30th 5 portion of said angular'face, and the aforeday of January, 1919.

said contacts being arranfed angularly along l 1 rp the angular face of said tinsulator. WILLIAM- (IEORGE (JLAY*ON' 7. A sparking plug according to claim 6, Witnesses: A- oaving more than tWe intermediate spark SIDNEY HENDLEY, 10 points between the positive and negative ANNIE EDWARDS. 

